A/N: this is my new story, and I really hope that you like it! Review when u get to the end of each chapter, please?

Luv Ella xXx

James Potters' friends had spent the first week of the summer holidays wondering why on earth he insisted on going to the muggle coffee shop, when they could, now that they were of age, easily purchase a Firewhisky at the Leaky Cauldron.

Sirius Black was the most vexed; the fact that he couldn't flirt with the witches that would wait hopefully for him at the pubs and in Diagon Ally; in Quidditch supply shops, and ice creameries; made him very annoyed indeed. But day after day James insisted that the four friends visit the same little shop on the corner of a little street in London; La Crema the muggle coffee shop, which looked so strangely unfamiliar to the boys that it made then doubt very much that a witch or wizard other than themselves had ever set foot in there before.

Sirius rolled his eyes at James' so called, new found caffeine addiction, and Peter was so glad to be bonding with Prongs that he would gladly sip down latte after latte, not caring that he actually despised the taste. Remus Lupin, however, knew much better. He often followed James' gaze, no matter how his friend tried to disguise it; to the green eyed girl behind the counter, who had red locks of hair flowing down her back in waves.

"That'll be two pounds." The girl told James, staring him in the eyes expectantly. James didn't move. He just continued to stare back, a wistfully blank expression on his handsome face. The girl gave a small, humoured smile, trying not to laugh, as James' face remained slackened and his hands still in his pockets, not even reaching for change to pay her with.

"Sir?" she said, prompting him to snap crudely out of his stupor, and jump a little, shocked that she had spoken, and reddening at the fact she had noticed the staring. He stumbled for a moment.

"Er, er right, got it, pounds, two of them." He said, fumbling with the pockets of his muggle pants. Remus rushed to his side, spying his awkwardness from a table or so away, where the others were waiting. He swiftly pulled a five-pound note out of his pocket, and slipped it into James' hand, sidling away again.

James smiled, and pressed it into the girl's hand.

"Er, thanks." She said, smiling at him strangely. James didn't move. "Er, you can sit down now, if you would like… we do bring it out to you…"

James jumped again, and walked back to what he very much thought was his table.

"Sorry but what do you think you are doing?" asked a portly man in a suit, a table away from where Remus, Sirius and Peter were sitting, watching with pained expressions on their faces, as they observed James making a complete fool out of himself.

James jumped out of the seat as though it was on fire, and stood next to the table, realising that the man with the ruddy face and thick neck was not a friend of his. He moved quickly over to where Sirius had saved him a seat, and sighed, banging his head on the table, coming back to his senses.

"Prongs, what the hell is wrong with you?" Sirius asked, one eyebrow cocked curiously, eyeing his friends disturbing behaviour.

James looked up, his chin resting on the table, and stared Sirius straight in the eye.

"I have no idea. Please tell me!" he begged, desperately. Remus laughed.

"I can tell you. You're head over heels for that waitress, that's what." He explained, matter-of-factly, smiling at James, and looking back at Sirius as his face dawned with comprehension.

"Oh. The good looking red head hey?" he asked, in a sly manner, with a hint of laughter in his voice. "Here I was thinking you were enjoying our little tea parties, when all along you just want to perve on some girl? To tell you the truth mate, I would prefer the firewhisky, but hey, whatever floats your boat-"

"Sirius, please stop being such an ass for one moment," Remus said, rolling his eyes at Sirius' blatant insensitivity.

Sirius shrugged. "Really, it's a girl. He could get any girl he wanted back at the castle, and yet he has to go chasing after some muggle. I'll admit, she's a pretty muggle, and you both know that I don't have anything against muggles, but I'm telling you, dating one is not a good idea."

"Sirius, you have never dated a muggle-"

"I have too!" Sirius argued back. Remus rolled his eyes. "What? I have!"

"For more than one night?" Remus asked, annoyed. Sirius stopped for a moment.

"No…" he muttered, after a long pause. "Muggle girls don't react well when you assure them that it's just your wand in your pocket. It scares them, for some-" comprehension dawned on Sirius' face, and he let out a laugh. "Ohoho… I understand…"

Remus sighed, and looked back at James, realising he hadn't been listening to any of the conversation. Instead, he was staring over the top of his menu at the red haired beauty, pensively.

Remus stopped, silencing Sirius with a wave of his hand, and giving James a small, encouraging smile.

"Why don't you talk to her, ask her out?" he asked.

James shook his head.

"I wouldn't know how." He said, ashamed, the colour rising in his face. Remus' eyes widened, Peter let out a small squeak, and Sirius a bark of a laugh.

"What do you mean Prongs?" Sirius asked, amazed.

James shook his head, not too sure of what he was saying himself, coming to a startling realisation as the words fell out of his mouth.

"I mean…back at school, they all come after me… because I'm a marauder, and a chaser, and all of those things…here in the muggle world, she doesn't have a clue who I am. If I told her that I was a chaser for a bloody Quidditch team she would stare at me like I was crazy, and tell me that I had a speech impediment. I really don't know how to ask a girl out." He was so shocked at what he was saying that his face almost mirrored Sirius' mask of pure amazement.

"Just talk to her." Remus said. "About something other than the weather…" he added, quieter, remembering yesterdays dire squeak of 'sunshine!" as the pretty girl approached the table. James nodded, his face a little white now, as she made her way over to the table, carrying with her two coffees- one each for James and Peter, who were the only ones still ordering on their daily trips to the café.

"One cappuccino, and one…why are you staring at my chest?" she asked, taking a step back, one hand on her hip, her eyes narrowing in James' direction. Remus groaned, and slammed his head to the table in anguish.

"I-I-I-It's pretty." James stammered, making Sirius give out a snort of laughter. The girl was appalled, and for a moment it seemed as though she was going to throw the remaining coffee all over James, however, he came to his senses and jumped to life, explaining himself away before she had a chance to do that.

"I mean your name is pretty!" he gushed; his eyes open wide, on his horrified face. "I was reading your name tag! Lily! It's a pretty name! I am so sorry, I realise how that all must have sounded! James! James is, name! My name…er…thanks for the latte."

He took the coffee that Lily had placed in front of him, and promptly took a large gulp of it, Lily standing back, still frozen in a rather sceptical position.

James' throat burned, as the hot coffee seared down his throat and chocked up in his chest.

James spluttered, and Lily couldn't conceal a small grin as Sirius thumped him hard on the back, and he stopped coughing, staring down Sirius, annoyed.

"Well, you talked yourself out of that finely." She said, when James was looking at her again, eyes still watering from the chocking incident. "But one more comment like that and I'm going to have to hurt you just a little bit." She added, with a small smile.

She grinned kindly at the four friends, and James lit up.

"Nice to meet you James." She said, with only a tiny hint of sarcasm in her voice, and she swished on one heel, and walked back to behind the counter, humming slightly to herself.

James turned to Sirius, Remus and Peter, smiling wildly. They stared back at him blankly.

"Smooth." Sirius sneered, derisively. James threw a scone at him, which bounced off his head marvellously.

The boys remained there for much of the morning, James refusing to leave, and ordering dubious amounts of coffee, never approaching the counter unless Lily was the one serving. Around midday, when Sirius had fallen asleep on the side of the table, and Remus was getting ready to tell James that they must leave, a girl approached the table; a tall girl, with dark brown hair hanging down her back stood over Sirius' snoring figure, smiling.

"Hey." She said, poking with one finger, to wake him up.

Sirius groggily opened his eyes, and found himself face to face with the abnormally pretty girl, causing him to smile.

"How you doing?" he asked sleazily, sitting up straighter, and swishing his hair back out of his eyes elegantly. Remus coughed in disgust, and Peter sat, in awe of his calm composure. If either one of them had woken up to find someone that pretty in there face then they would have been acting a lot more like James, who was currently pouring sugar sachets onto the ground next to him in the desperate hope that they would send Lily to clean it up, with an insane expression on his face that told them he clearly thought he had stumbled upon and ingenious idea.

The girl laughed, and took the empty seat between Sirius and James, which the later had actually pulled over to tempt Lily when she was on her break.

"Hey, have I seen you somewhere before?" she asked, looking Sirius up and down, and searching his face with here eyes. He smiled.

"I wish I could say yes, but I know I would remember a face as beautiful as yours." He said, swiftly, as though reciting something he had learnt word for word, very long ago. The girl laughed again.

"No, I am sure I have seen you. I know it." She said, her eye narrowing a little, "I am positive I have seen your face."

Sirius shook his head.

"Nope. Impossible." He said, sure that he could remember all the muggle girls he knew, seeing as there was a rather limited list. The girl raised one eyebrow, slowly; making it known that she still didn't believe him, even though she didn't press the matter any further.

"Right, well I'm Bella." She said, smiling, flicking her hair out of her eyes, "Can I at least have your number?" she asked, with a small grin. Sirius smiled right back, not hesitating for a moment.

"Why you sure can." He replied, thinking it a rather odd request for a muggle, but complying just the same. "Number seven m'dear, I'm a beater. Prongs here is a chaser, bit of a softy, but I'm lucky number seven."

Bella's face displayed a clear expression of confusion, and she looked to Remus, who was the only other one watching the conversation, desperate for an explanation. Remus took one of James' empty sugar packets, and scribbled down a phone number with the pen in his pocket.

"Here." He said, handing it to her. "He misunderstood, here's his phone number."

Bell smiled gratefully at Remus, and stood from the seat, touching Sirius lightly on the shoulder as she left the store, leaving him very confused indeed.

"What did you give her?" he asked Remus, perplexed. Remus chuckled.

"My phone number. It's like a two-way mirror, for voices, that muggles use. I have one because my dads a muggle, I gave her mine."

Sirius was outraged.

"Don't you go taking girls from me!"

"I'm not. I'll cover for you. What was I meant to do, you can't go sending her owls for crying out loud!" he said, scandalised.

Comprehension dawned on Sirius' face.

"All right. Thanks Moony, but you know tomorrow, we're- Prongs? Prongs, come on, enough caffeine for you buddy!" he whined, pulling James back down to the seat as he rose to get another coffee, the sugar trick having been a complete failure.

Remus shook his head, also getting up from his seat.

"No, come on, it's time we left anyway." He said, Peter also rising from his chair, and James giving them all a pleading expression. Remus shook his head.

"No James, come on, you'll go crazy if we stay here any longer." Sirius said, and also stood. James followed, reluctantly, and the four friends reached the door, where James dared one last look back at Lily, only to find her emerald eyes already on him.

"Bye James." She called, from across the shop. He gave her a smile, and a cheerful wave, running into Peter as he fumbled himself out the door, obviously smitten, making Lily laugh, as she watched the marauders disappear around the corner.

Lily sighed, and walked slowly back to behind the counter, fumbling with the black apron that she kept tied around her waist.

There was something about the boys that had her intrigued, all four of them. She didn't know what it was; it couldn't have been the good looks that most of them seemed to display, because many handsome men came through the store everyday, and Lily had never been so fascinated by any of them before. It definitely wasn't the way that James drooled over her; she fathomed, as she swept up a mysterious pile of sugar that had accumulated near where he was sitting. No, it was something else entirely. Almost as though they were old friends, whom she had had when she was younger; not that she'd had many friends when she was younger…

Lily had always felt like an outsider; always. She had never really fitted in. Even when she had moved into secondary school, nobody had taken that much of an interest in her; or perhaps she hadn't taken an interest in them. She was nearing her eighteenth birthday, and she still was yet to find a real friend; or a real boyfriend for that matter.

Lily spent most of her time reading, or working, or doing something else to take her mind off the fact that she didn't belong.

As she thought this, a light over the other side of the café erupted, shattering shards of glass everywhere, and sending the people who were sitting under it diving under the tables. Lily gasped, and ran for a pan and broom, to clean it up.

It was strange, but when things like this happened she always felt responsible, and would riddle in guilt for days, even when she hadn't been near the accident at all. Maybe it was because strange things seemed to happen around Lily. It might have been one of the reasons that she had always had such trouble making friends.

When she was six, and her mother had taken her to the park with the sister, Petunia, they had been racing for the slide. When Petunia tried to push Lily off; jealous that she had reached it first, Lily hadn't been sent slamming into the wood chips, but merely floated, landing much too gracefully for a frazzled six year old. It was probably the first time that Lily had realised she wasn't normal. The way Petunia's eyes narrowed when she made the landing was enough to tell her that she shouldn't have done that.

But the boys, who came in day after day, certainly had something about them. Something undeniable, yet Lily found it impossible to place her finger on it. It kept her awake late into the night, and made her clumsy at work each day; she knew she wouldn't be happy until she knew what it was.

Not that she didn't have much time to watch them. James, Remus, Sirius and Peter came in the very next day, and sat at the same table; in the corner, by the window, with a clear view of the front counter. Lily narrowed her eyes, and scanned them up and down, once again, trying to search out familiarities…

They were a little more rugged up today; even though they continued to creep further and further into summer, the weather was taking the completely opposite path; the warmer it was supposed to get, the drearier it became, with a strange chill being brought by odd mists, that the weather forecasters couldn't explain away.

"Morning James!" she called, from behind the counter, nervous about talking to them at all. James' eyes lit up, and Lily gave a grin, heading over to their table, pen and pad in hand, ready to take their order.

"What you four doing today?" she asked, smiling around at them. James cleared his throat. He seemed much more together today, as though he had cringed so horribly over the events of the previous morning that it had snapped him out of his stupor.

James shrugged.

"Not too sure yet Lily, not too sure at all." He answered, giving her a broad grin. She turned to the others.

Remus smiled also, and inwardly thanked James for not being such an idiot two days in a row.

"Nothing planned as of yet." He said kindly. Sirius wasn't listening. He was too busy winking at a dark haired beauty from across the café.

After ordering, the morning proceeded without anything eventful occurring, much to James' displeasure, and to Sirius, as he still couldn't get the brown haired girl to approach him merely by winking.
"James, can we leave now. I need to stop by Diagon Ally and get a new quill." Remus asked, rising from his seat. James thought for a moment, remaining sitting in his chair. He snuck a look over at Lily, who was taking off her apron and hanging it on the hook at the back of the store, getting ready to take her break. He turned back to Remus.

"No, you three go though, I'll meet you at Peter's house soon." He told him, with a smile. Remus surveyed his face for a moment. The smile seemed sane enough. There would be no harm in leaving James by himself, so long as he stayed normal.

Remus deflated.

"All right, here." He reached into his pocket, and gave James some muggle money, laughing a little as he did.

"And here is my number." He said, giving James a slip of paper now, with figures scrawled on it. "If she asks for your number, do not answer 2, all right? She's not talking about Quidditch, she is talking about this, give it to her."

James nodded, sharply drinking in all that Remus was saying.

He bid farewell to the other marauders, and as the door swung shut behind them, he could hear Sirius saying;

"Who would have thought Remus would be giving James and I tips on how to get women?"

"Shut it Padfoot…"

James ripped his glance from their retreating figures, and looked instead at Lily, who was carrying a tray with her lunch on top, heading for the table she always sat at on her break.

"Lily." James called, hearing his voice shake a little as he spoke. She turned, and saw his anxious face, smiling. "Do you want to sit over here? I mean, you don't have to, I only thought that I wouldn't be sitting with anyone, and you wouldn't and-"

"I'd love to." Replied Lily, walking over top where he was seated, cutting him off before he started to drip sugar again, or something equally as strange.

She placed her things down on the table, and took the seat opposite James. He was delighted, and inside of his feelings he never knew he had were doing triumphant somersaults.

"So, where did the other guys go?" she asked, gesturing to the empty seats. James rolled his eyes.

"They went to go shopping." He shared, laughing, "Needed to get a few things was they're excuse, but I know Sirius just loves trying on those little pink dresses."

Lily laughed, and took a sip of her drink, smiling.

"Sirius…so he was the one…with the black hair, right?" she asked, desperate to know everything that she could about the boys. James nodded.

"Right. That's Padfoot." He agreed. Lily cocked one eyebrow inquiringly.

"Padfoot?"

"Oh, nicknames. I'm Prongs. Much more manly, if you ask me." He said, with a grin, messing up his hair unnecessarily. Lily's forehead creased a little, wondering what the point of the hair scrunching had been, and she took a bite of her bread, drinking in the details on the friends with it.

"Ok then, so who is the one with the sandy coloured hair then?" she asked, "The one who always saves your ass when you start blubbering." She added, laughing. James reddened.

"That would be Remus. Moony." Lily was more curious about the nicknames than ever, but she held back, thinking that she would know eventually. There was still one more to find out about.

"And the short one?"

"Peter. Little Petty." He added, with a laugh. Lily looked startled. "No, I'm kidding, his nickname's Wormtail." He told her, with a grin.

"So what school do you lot go to then?" she asked. She had never seen them about before, and she had attended a lot of schools. Maybe that was where she knew them from.

James had frozen. He needed Remus to bail him out of this one. What was he meant to say to that? He decided the truth; or at least a version of it; would be the safest way to go.

"Boarding school in Scotland." He told her, "You wouldn't have heard of it. We're only home for the summer." His smile fell, as he looked at the mist out the window that had been caused by dementors. "At leats, it was meant to be summer." He added, ruefully.

Lily's forehead creased.

"Yes, I know what you mean. This mist is rather weird, isn't it?" she said, looking out the window. "It makes me feel all horrible inside too…"

James stared, wishing he could tell her what was going on; to make her trust him, but he knew that he never could.

"Exactly." Was all he said, taking a large sip of his drink to save having to reply.

They kept talking, and laughing, until Lily's eyes wandered to the large clock over the counter. She jumped.

"Oh no, I've gone over my break!" she said, jumping up and fumbling with her little metal tray. "I'm sorry, I had a great time though, do you think I could have your number?" she asked, giving him a little grin. "I'll give you a call, maybe we can have a conversation that lasts for more than my lunch break?"

James' mouth opened up, and he went to tell her what Quidditch position he played, when Remus' wise words echoed in his head. James dove his hand into his pocket, and pulled out the little slip of paper he had been given earlier.

"Here." He said, handing it to her. "I had a good time too."

He watched her leave, back behind the counter, and then got up himself, walking out the door.

Lily watched James walk away, right until he was swallowed up but the odd fog. She had a smile etched into her pretty face. Though it only lasted for half an hour, Lily knew that that was probably the most normal conversation she had ever had in her life.

A/N: so thanks for reading the first chapter! I hope that you liked it, the next one should be up Really soon! Please tell me what u think about it!

Luv Ella xXx